LIFE DISRUPTED – featuring Elham Hazfi, Irit Epstein, Lina Faroussi.Three artists from three countries – Syria, Iran and Israel – now living in Toronto, explore the humanitarian crisis in our contemporary world – a result of man-made destruction. The works portray the Syrian war, the refugee crisis, the loss of home and homeland, and the geographic uncertainties that influence us all. The artists express their unrest and sensitivity to today's current events and related crises from their personal points of view.

Assuming the multiple roles of artistic director, photographer and model, 2Fik stages elaborate tableaux that often reenact familiar compositions derived from famous paintings. Toying with reality, his constructed images destabilize the viewer's assumed points of reference, playfully orchestrating scenes that comment thoughtfully on current society.

Born in Paris to a Moroccan Muslim family, 2Fik moved to Montréal in 2003. His encounter with the city's multicultural environment inspired him to examine issues of identity and socio-political ramifications. Drawn out of this diverse backdrop, the recurring characters featured in his photographs are all interconnected and stem from the artist's life experiences and personality: Abdel, who was born in Casablanca, moved to Montréal, and now works as a property manager, turning to religion out of loneliness rather than genuine faith; Fatima, who abandoned her university studies to follow Abdel as his good wife and remains devoted to him even though they married out of family pressure, not love; Kathryn, an overconfident, spoiled young woman from Montréal's West Island, who is juggling many lovers, including Abdel; and Firas, who fled his native country and asked for refugee status in Canada, motivated by a well-founded fear of persecution based on his sexual orientation.

These are only a few of the lively, fictional individuals embodied by 2Fik in his beguiling photographs. Dismantling stereotypes, they compel viewers to question their own sense of self and reflect on acquired notions of gender, sexuality, belief, universality, and difference. 2Fik first explored these topics by diving into the intimacy and daily life of his characters in the series 2Fik Or Not 2Fik (2005-2009), and later by positioning them into well-known paintings reimagined from a contemporary perspective in his second series, 2Fik's Museum (2010-2012). In 2013, 2Fik began a new series of site-specific performance-based photographs, restaging history paintings in order to consider national identity narratives.

As 2Fik's first solo show in Toronto, His and Other Stories offers a survey of these recent bodies of work to examine cultural legacies and identity constructs. The exhibition's centerpieces are his latest compositions that reconfigure allegorical representations of nationhood. A new work, created for this exhibition, reinterprets Benjamin West's 1770 painting, "The Death of General Wolfe", an emblematic example of Canadian history represented through a colonial lens. The original dramatically depicts the General's fall during the 1759 Battle of Québec, celebrating him as a hero and a symbol of British dominance. Subverting this patriarchal, whitewashing viewpoint, 2Fik's vibrant characters of mixed genders, ethnicities, and faiths infuse new meaning into this iconic image. Raising irreverent questions, his critical reinterpretation disrupts nationalistic discourses, opening conversation on today's pluralistic realities. Shot at Honest Ed's just before its demolition, the photograph recalls this site's significance to Toronto and its diverse inhabitants, honouring both present and historical loss, mourning across time and cultural dimensions.

2Fik: His and Other Stories is generously supported by the Hal Jackman Foundation.

Still Playing by Irina Schestakowich explores whimsical points of view using clay, paint, threads and ink. Best Before, an exhibition of paintings by Gary Smith, explores the charm of homes "before the love of the condo" ... more

Still Playing by Irina Schestakowich explores whimsical points of view using clay, paint, threads and ink.Best Before, an exhibition of paintings by Gary Smith, explores the charm of homes "before the love of the condo".

Riverdale ArtWalk is a FREE two-day, public fine art exhibition showcasing established and emerging artists in Jimmie Simpson Park in Toronto's flourishing Queen East arts district. The first outdoor art show of Toronto's season, the Riverdale ArtWalk is a great place to connect with artists and buy that perfect piece for your home! Last year, the festival hosted over 175 participating artists and the inclusion of local community groups, entertainment and food vendors. Now in its 19th year in the Riverdale / Leslieville area of Toronto, the festival has grown to reach an audience of over 20,000 art enthusiasts and supporters. ArtWalk expects to continue to grow.www.RiverdaleArtWalk.ca.Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiverdaleArtWalk.Twitter: www.twitter.com/TorontoArtWalks... more

Riverdale ArtWalk is a FREE two-day, public fine art exhibition showcasing established and emerging artists in Jimmie Simpson Park in Toronto's flourishing Queen East arts district. The first outdoor art show of Toronto's season, the Riverdale ArtWalk is a great place to connect with artists and buy that perfect piece for your home! Last year, the festival hosted over 175 participating artists and the inclusion of local community groups, entertainment and food vendors. Now in its 19th year in the Riverdale / Leslieville area of Toronto, the festival has grown to reach an audience of over 20,000 art enthusiasts and supporters. ArtWalk expects to continue to grow.www.RiverdaleArtWalk.ca.Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiverdaleArtWalk.Twitter: www.twitter.com/TorontoArtWalks.

Derek Liddington.the body will always bend before it breaks, the tower will always break before it bends ... more

Derek Liddington. the body will always bend before it breaks, the tower will always break before it bends.A solo exhibition of new work by Toronto artist Derek Liddington is a performance of two photographic stills taken from two 1928 Ballets Russes productions – Ode and Apollon Musagète – staged back-to-back across two sites: the Art Gallery of York University and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (23 Jun – 10 Sep 2017).Anchored by a co-commissioned video, each exhibition uses the "performance still" as a dramaturgical framework for the development of its score and mise-en-scène – Ode at AGYU and Apollon Musagète at SAAG. These exhibitions are neither intended to bring to life the particular productions nor rehearse their subject matter or theme, however. Rather, Liddington animates the space in-between performance and image as a point of departure for his ongoing investigation into narrative (meaning) and abstraction (aesthetics).The FREE Performance Bus departs OCADU (100 McCaul Street) on Wed 5 Apr at 6pm sharp and returns downtown at 9pm. Join Toronto artist and model Chris Heller for an out-of-the-classroom and onto-a-school-bus life drawing class while travelling en route to the exhibition opening.

Unionville Festival Family Activities. Enjoy FREE family-friendly activities facilitated by the Varley Art Gallery's program team all weekend long! The Varley has partnered with the Bowling League Arts Collective to host and support a day of arts programming on Sat 3 Jun for the #PlacesforAll150Project. The project is an inclusive, interactive and open forum that invites the public to reflect and consider what it means to be Canadian ... more

Unionville Festival Family Activities. Enjoy FREE family-friendly activities facilitated by the Varley Art Gallery's program team all weekend long! The Varley has partnered with the Bowling League Arts Collective to host and support a day of arts programming on Sat 3 Jun for the #PlacesforAll150Project. The project is an inclusive, interactive and open forum that invites the public to reflect and consider what it means to be Canadian.

Amy Shackleton: The Great Canadian LEED-scape.The Great Canadian LEED-scape painting will be traveling to four cities in 2017 (see tour schedule below). Please join Canadian artist Amy Shackleton on Sun 4 Jun for the second opening of The Great Canadian LEED-scape at the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington.Five years in the making and spanning over 50 feet, this original painting panorama explores the ongoing transformation of Canada's natural and built environments.The Great Canadian LEED-scape consists of thirteen panels, one for each province and territory in Canada. The regions are positioned from west to east, according to the longitude of each capital city. Leading examples of sustainable architecture (LEED-certified buildings) are combined with neighboring trees, mountains and waterways. In recognition of Canada 150, this painting examines Canada's changing urban landscape and suggests what the future could hold.Using squeeze bottles filled with liquid paint, The Great Canadian LEED-scape was built from the ground up with hundreds of lines and dots. Shackleton manipulates the drip and flow of her paint through gravity and by spinning her canvas. As in real-life construction, the architectural details are calculated, measured and controlled in order to assure precise locations of each line. As in nature, the environmental elements are more spontaneous, unpredictable and liquid."This is the most ambitious painting of my career in both scope and scale. It has demanded extensive research, Canada-wide travel and a larger studio space. I spent time in every province and territory to photograph landscapes and hunt down buildings that were developed with nature in mind. I walked on sea ice in Nunavut. I braved -35°C in Manitoba. I hiked mountains in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Yukon. The multi-year process has been a labour of love and I couldn't be more excited to share it in my first ever traveling exhibition!" – Amy Shackleton.A behind-the-scenes video about The Great Canadian LEED-scape – https://youtu.be/Ikc6HzdMx-U.Amy Shackleton (b.1986) has exhibited paintings in Canada, USA and the UK. Her paintings adorn dozens of private and corporate collections across North America, including the Colart Collection, Facebook Canada and the University of Cincinnati. Shackleton has received multiple grants to create / exhibit her work through the Ontario Arts Council. She has been interviewed on CTV Canada AM and CHCH Morning Live. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Magenta Magazine, New York Magazine, Fashion Magazine, CBC, CBS, Gizmodo, My Modern Met and Oddity Central. Shackleton holds a BFA Honours Degree from York University and is represented by the Elaine Fleck Gallery in Toronto, Ontario.2017 tour schedule –May 9-29: BMO Atrium, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto, Ontario.Jun 4-Jul 2: Visual Arts Centre of Clarington, Bowmanville, Ontario.Jul 6-Aug 14: Maison du développement durable, Montréal, Québec.Nov 3-Dec 22: The Museum, Kitchener, Ontario.Amy Shackleton would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the private sector, organized by the Elaine Fleck Gallery.www.amyshackleton.comwww.elainefleckgallery.com.

Family Sundays. Join the fun in the studio at the Art Gallery of Peterborough for guided art activities with local artists. There is no fee or registration required. Just drop in! Children must be accompanied by an adult ... more

Family Sundays. Join the fun in the studio at the Art Gallery of Peterborough for guided art activities with local artists. There is no fee or registration required. Just drop in! Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Trash Train.On the first Sunday of each month, climb aboard The Trash Train with our creative Station Gallery crew! Connect with family and friends while you upcycle and make extraordinary art right in the Gallery with materials that were headed for the trash. Stay as little or as long as you like for this drop-in program. Pre-registration is encouraged! All ages. FREE. http://bit.ly/1RTfFc7... more

The Trash Train.On the first Sunday of each month, climb aboard The Trash Train with our creative Station Gallery crew! Connect with family and friends while you upcycle and make extraordinary art right in the Gallery with materials that were headed for the trash. Stay as little or as long as you like for this drop-in program. Pre-registration is encouraged! All ages. FREE. http://bit.ly/1RTfFc7.